Machine for making fence



(No Model.) s snets-sheet 1.

. J. ZENGEL.

MAGHINE FOR MAKING FENCE.

No. 388,610. Patented Aug. 28, 1888.

3 Sheets-Shet 2.

(No Model.)

J. ZENGEL.

} MACHINE FOR MAKING FENCE.

No. 388,610.' Patented Aug. 28, 1888.

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$51. Mommy.

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3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

{No Model.)

J. ZEN GEL,

MACHINE FOR MAKING FENCE.

Patented Aug. 28, 1888.

351 5w Ware/1 4v 2 9W Jaw UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH ZENGEL, OF QUINCY, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TOTHE AUTOMATIC FENCE LOOM COMPANY, OF NEW JERSEY.

MACHINE FOR MAKlNG FENCE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 388,610, dated August28, 1888.

Application filed November 2, 1887. Serial No. 254,085. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, J osnrn ZENGEL, a citizen of the United States,residing at Quincy, Adams county, in the State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for MakingFence, of which the following is a specification, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof.

My invention relates to machines used for making the kindof fence knownas picketand-wire fence, which is formed of upright pickets or palingsconnected by wires arranged horizontally and twisted together betweenthe pickets or palings; and it relates more par ticularly to suchmachines of this general class as are designed to be driven continuouslyby power and to work automatically to perform the various operationsnecessary forconstructing the fence. In such machines as theyhavehitherto been constructed when either of the wires breaks or becomesexhausted on the reel, or when the picket-feeding device fails to workproperly or the attendant neglects to supply pickets, the continuedoperation of the machine results in a serious fault in the fence, whichit is very difficult to undo or repair.

It is the object of my present invention to overcome this defect in theoperation of such machines, which has hitherto caused seriousinconvenience and annoyance in their use. I accomplish this by combining,with the machine an automatic stop mechanism, which is connected witheach of the wires and so arranged with reference to the picketssubjected to the action or operation of the machinethat it is held insuspense as long as the wires are intact and the supply of picketsproperly maintained; but whenever either wire fails or the supply ofpickets ceases or becomes irregular, so that they are not presentedproperly to the operation of the twisting mechanism, the stop mechanismis brought into action and operates to disconnect the driving-power fromthe machine or otherwise arrest its action.

Various forms of mechanism may be used for carrying out my invention,and the form to be adopted in any given case and the me chanical detailsof construction will necessarily depend upon the construction in otherrespects of the particular machine to which it is to be applied.

In the drawings I have shown my invention as applied to a machine of thetype invented by me and described in my previous patents, 7

No. 289,490, dated December 4, 1883, and No. 326,007, dated September 8,1885. In this machine, as iswell known, the reels of wire are mounted onhollow shafts which are rotated continuously at uniform speed by power,and

the pairs of wires are carried from the reels to twisting-heads whichare mounted on shafts passing through the reel-shafts and rotatedintermittingly in the same direction as the reels, stopping periodicallyfor insertion of 6 pickets, and then moving rapidly enough to overtakethe reels.

The pickets are auto matically fed in between the wires at the propertimes while the twisting heads are stopped or are moving slowly. I applyto each of the wires at some place between the reels and the pointswhere the wires are twisted a movable piece-such as a lever orpawl-which is restrained or held by the wire in opposition to gravity orthe force of a spring, and so arranged that when it is released from thewire it assumes a new position and engages with an arm or finger on arock shaft or bar, and by turning or moving it releases a belt-tighteneror some similar device s controlling the transmission of power to themachine, and so disconnects the machine from the motive power and stopsit. I also connect with the rock shaft or bar a movable piecesuch as alever or pawl-resting on and sup- 3;,

ported by the pickets at some point in their course into or through themachine, and so arranged that when not supported it drops down intoengagement with some moving part of the machine and is drawn forward, soas to 0 move the rock shaft or bar and disconnect the motive power.

Figure l is a plan of the machine. Fig. 2 is a side elevation, partly insection. Fig. 3

is an end elevation, and Figs. 4, 5, 6, and 7 S is the main shaft of themachine, to which power is transmitted from the countersha'ft D by meansof the belt E. A continuous movement is imparted from the main shaft tothe sleeves B B and an intermittent movement in the same direction tothe twisting-heads A A by means of suitable gearing, G, as set forth inmy previous patents. I have shown only two sets of twisters and reels;but in practice any desired number may be used.

H is the guideway for the pickets as they are fed into the machine. Thisis shown as mounted on pivoted standards I, and, as set forth in myprevious patents, a lateral reciprocating movement is imparted to it, soas to carry the picket forward laterally after it has been fed inbetween the wires; but instead of using the guideway itself for thispurpose separate arms or heads may be used for advancing the picketlaterally, and the guideway may be stationary.

J is the automatic picket-feeding device, constructed,preferably, as setforth in my patent, No. 326,007, above referred to, which at everyrevolution of the main shaft drives a picket longitudinally into theguideway H and between the horns a a of the twisting-heads while thelatter are at rest or are moving slowly.

I have shown the transmission of power to the main shaft as controlledby means of a belt-tightener consisting of an idle-pulley, K, running onthe main belt, which is sufficiently slack not to run the machine whenthe idler does not bear upon it. The idle-pulley is mounted in a pivotedframe, L, the position of which is controlled by the lever-cord N andlever M; but a friction-clutch or any other suitable device mayobviously be used for this PHIPOSG.

\Vhen the machine is in operation, the lever M is held in position bythe detent O, affixed to it, which engages with the frame P of themachine. The lever is unlocked by depressing it until the detent clearsthe frame. The lever M is depressed automatically by means of thepointed bar Q and the rock-shaft It, the rear end of the bar beingpivoted to a short arm, T, onthe rock-shaft.

The mechanism for operating the rock-shaft and arresting the movement ofthe machine upon a failure or irregularity in the supply of pickets isbest shown in Figs. 2 and 7. It consists,in general terms, ofa movablepiece(which is here shown in the form of a lever or pawl) pivoted withits free end in the path of movement of the pickets at a given point oftheir course through the machine. The device which I have shownfor thispurpose is abent' lever pivoted to an arm, t, on the rock-shaft. Thislever has a horizontal part, which is pivoted to the arm 1?, and acentral elbow or bent portiomp, one side, 10, of which is longer thanthe other. The end 19 is straight or horizontal, and is designed torestupon the pickets. In the position shown in Fig. 2 the lever clearsthe guideway by reason of its conformassaeio tion and of its resting ona picket; but should a picket fail the lever, being no longersupported,drops down into the position shown in Fig. 7, and, offset 0engaging with the guideway, the lever is drawn forward by the nextforward movement of the guideway. The rockshaft is turned, and the leverM is unlocked by the insertion of the pointed bar Q, between it and theframe T. the forward end,

19, of the lever or pawl is made a little longer than the space betweenthe pickets, so that it is supported by one picket until the next sueceeding picket comes under the end p. I prefer to apply it near theforward ends of the pickets, as shown in Fig. 1, so that it will becalled into operation in case the picket is not driven far enough by thepicket-feeding mechanism, or in case a picket rebounds after hav ingbeen driven in.

It is obvious that the mechanical details of this device may be variedto suit the construction of different machines, the essential principlebeing that the transmission of power to the machine is controlled by amovable piece in the path ofmovement of the pickets,which is held out ofaction by the pickets as long as they are properly supplied and carriedthrough the machine.

Movementis imparted to the rock-shaft upon the breaking or running outof either of the wires by means of the levers or pawls m m acting uponthe arms oriingers Z Z. H are attached to the rock-shaft in suchaposition that their outer ends are alongside of and just clear the rearends of the twistingheads. Two short levers or pawls, m in, are attachedto the rearend of each twisti n gheadone for each of the wires. Theseare pivoted at n n and have holes to Win their outer ends through whichthe wires from the reels pass and hold them in toward the center, asshown at m, so that they clear the fingers Z Z as long as the wires areintact; but when awire breaks or runs out the corresponding lever orpawl drops down into the position shown at in, and by engaging with andlifting one of the fingers turns the rock-shaft, which drives the bar Qforward, releases the belt ti ghtener, and stops the machine.

It is obvious that the pieces m on may be arranged to slide in and out,instead of turning on a pivot, as shown, and they may be applied to thewires at any point between the reels and the points where the wires aretwisted. In machines where the reels are not moved, as in some forms ofreversible twist-machines, they need not be carried by a moving part ofthe machine. It is obvious that the same result may be accomplished bymaking the levers or pawls when released from the wires act upon thedevice controlling the transmission of power in a variety of waysinvolving the same general principle of operation, and I do not considermy invention as limited to the precise form of mechanism I have shown.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- Thearms i. In a fence-machine, the combination,with the twisters, of abelt-tightener or equivalent device for governing the transmission ofpower to the machine, levers or pawls for controlling the operation ofthe same, arranged to be held out of action by the wires leading fromthe reels to the points of twisting, and a device or devices connectingthe levers or pawls with the belt-tightener or its equivalent, wherebythe machine is automatically stopped whenever either of the wires breaksor runs out, substantially as described.

2. In afence-machine, the combination,with the twisters, of abelt-tightener or equivalent device for governingthe transmission ofpower to the machine, stop mechanism for controlling the operation ofthe same, and levers or pawls normally sustained or supported,respectively, by the wires leading from the reels to the point oftwisting and by the pickets in their passage through the machine, andadapted when released or dropped by the failure of either a wire orwires or of the proper supply of pickets to bring the stop mechanisminto action, as set forth.

3. In a fence-machine, the combinatiomwith the twisters, of abelt-tightener or equivalent device for governing the transmission ofpower to the machine, a rock-shaft or bar operating or controlling thesame, and levers or pawls for controlling the operation of therock-shaft or bar, the said levers or pawls being normally sustained orsupported by the wires and pickets, respectively, and adapted by theirrelease to set in operation the rock-shaft, and thereby disconnect themotive power, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination, in a fence'machine, of

lovers or pawls carried by the twisting-heads or their shafts andarranged to be normally restrained against the force of gravity or aspring by the wires passing from the reels to the twisters,a rock shaftor bar provided with fingersor arms,with which the levers or pawlsengage when released, and a belt-tightener or equivalent device operatedby the roclrshaft for controlling the transmission of power to themachine, substantially as described.

5. The combination, in a fence-machine, of an automatic picket-feedingdevice with amovable piece located in the path of movement of thepickets that are fed into the machine and restrained by them as theysuccessively pass through and from the twisters, a belt-tightener orequivalent device for governing the transmission of power to themachine, and intermediate mechanism for causing the release of themovable piece to act upon the belttightener, whereby the machine isstopped automatically when the proper supply of pickets fails,substantially as described.

6. The combination, in a fence-machine, of a pawl or lever supported bythe forward ends of the pickets in their progress through and from thewire-twisters with stop mechanism adapted to be operated by the releaseof the pawl when not supported by the pickets, substantially as setforth.

7. The combination, with the automatic picket-feeding device and thereciprocating guideway or pushing-head, of a pawl or lever adapted toengage with the guideway orhead when not supported by the pickets and apower-detaching device brought into operation by the pawl or lever whenmoved by the guideway, substantially as described.

'8. The combination, in a fence'machine, of the pawls m m, therock-shaft R, provided with the armsl l, and the belt-tightener operatedby the rockshaft, substantially as de scribed. y

In witness whereof I have signedthis specification, in the presence oftwo witnesses, at the city of Quincy, Illinois, this 26th day ofOctober, 1887.

JOSEPH ZENGEL.

WVitnesses:

J OHN H. WILLIAMS, GEORGE A. BINKERT.

